Global Journal of Management and Business Research, F: Real Estate, Event and Tourism Management, Volume 22 Issue 3

Governance Framework for Farm Tourism in Camarines Sur, Philippines © 2022 Global Journals 21 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXII Issue III Version I Year 2022 ( ) F separate entity or NAO should be created first to make the framework functional. In creating the NAO, an organization should take the initiative to capacitate the stakeholders which will be involved. During this process, the industry may adopt the lead organization type of governance. Through this, decisions and activities are coordinated to the DOT-RO V as the lead organization. h) NAO Structure In creating the structure of the NAO, this study proposes to pattern it to the composition of the Farm Tourism Board in the national level. The National Farm Tourism Board is included in the IRR of the RA 101816. This is to ensure that the operations of the industry will be facilitated and all stakeholders from the different sectors are well-represented. The structure which is based on the national level also ensures that accountability and responsiveness are considered. Figure 3shows the proposed organizational structure for the PFTDB. It illustrates the governance framework for farm tourism stakeholders in Camarines Sur adopting the network administrative organization type of network governance. Figure 4 shows that each stakeholder has a two-way arrow indicating interdependency between networks. All of them should create and strengthen network with the identified actors/agencies to make the governance framework functional. The Provincial Farm Tourism Farm Board is situated at the center being the lead agency or the entity which is responsible for managing and sustaining the stakeholders’ network. The NAO which needs to be functional serves as a broker among stakeholders within the province and initiator of programs on farm tourism. The framework acknowledges that public - private tourism partnership represent pooling of knowledge, expertise, capital and other resources from various stakeholders (Bramwell and lane 2000). However, it should always be considered that the NAO or any type of governance does not guarantee a perfect and smooth operations. Hence, the coordination between stakeholders, willingness/commitment to contribute to the desired goal, and cooperation are three important institutional functions which facilitate the development of the industry. Kenis and Provan (2008) further clarified that a particular governance has practical implications. From a policy perspective, it should be clear that selection of governance form, whether through mandate or funding incentives, can have critical implications for overall network effectiveness. From a management perspective, effective network management requires the need to recognize and respond to both internal and external network demands, both when selecting a governance form and when managing tensions that arise as part of that form. V. C onclusion This study generally aimed to design a governance framework suitable for the farm tourism industry in Camarines Sur. The objectives of the study focused on the current status of farm tourism in Camarines Sur and the relationship of stakeholders. Several stakeholders were identified based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Farm Tourism Development Act otherwise known as RA 10816. The agencies included are the Department of Tourism-Regional Office V, Agricultural Training institute- Regional Office V, Department of Trade and Industry- Camarines Sur Provincial Office, and the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture as the representative for the academe sector. These stakeholders were chosen as they were identified by the govergnment to comprise the Farm Tourism Development Board. Likewise, there were seven (7) farm tourism sites chosen to be a part of the study. These farms are practicum- partners of Central Bicol State University of Agriculture and have satisfied the pre-requisites of a farm tourism site. Interviews were also conducted among Tourism Officers and Municipal/City Agriculturists of municipalities where selected farms are located. Secondary data were also obtained from secondary sources such as brochures from farms, Tourism Development Plans (TDPs) of municipalities, and other relevant documents from the agencies. The mandates of government agencies were also taken from their official websites. The study was qualitatively interpreted. The current status of farm tourism industry was analyzed and described based on the perceptions of the major agencies. The researcher used content analysis in interpreting the data gathered. Other data were analyzed using the social network analysis through the use of the UCINET software, power interest analysis and case study which highlights one of the farms which applies best practices in farm tourism and SWOT analysis. Results of the study revealed that the farm tourism industry in Camarines Sur is still young, and developmental. The profile of the farms also revealed that farm tourism sites in Camarines Sur are diverse in terms of activities, crops produced, as well as services offered. Lack of policy orientation and in-depth NAOs typically have board structures that include all or subsets of network members (Evan and Olk 1990; Provan, Isett, Milward. 2004). Hence, the DOT is selected as it has the capacity and resources to organize the stakeholders and capacitate actors in the provincial level (based from the SNA). The process of forming the NAO should be included in the initial steps of shifting the industry from a self-managed to a brokered-type of governance (Figure 7). Table 9details how the industry could shift from a self-managed to a network administrative organization (NAO) type of governance.